Game apparatus.



No. 810,299. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. O. B. PETTEE.

GAME APPARATU$.

APPLICATION FILED 111:0. 9. 1904.

2 sums-sum 1.

PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

0. E. PETTEE. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 9, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIOE.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 16, 1906.

Application filed December 9,1904. Serial No. 236,121.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER E. PETTEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rockland, in the county of Knox, State of Maine,

Fig. 5, the runway moves upon its pivotal have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Game Apparatus; and I do ereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to games, and more particularly to those known assurface-proj ectile games, and has for its object to provide a gameapparatus which will be so constructed as to register the number ofpoints made and which will require considerable skill on the part of theplayer to win the game.

Another object is to provide a game apparatus which will be foldable tooccupy little space when not in use.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, and it will be understood that modifications of thespecific construction shown may be made and any suitable materials maybe used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike characters of reference indicate similar parts in the severalviews, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the present apparatus in use.Fig. 2 is a front view. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the ointer-actuating mechanismand the detent.

ig. 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus folded. Fig. 6 is a view of amodified form of the releasing mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention comprises a table5, including a top 6 and supporting-legs 7 and 8, which are located atthe forward and rearward ends of the table, respectively. The legs 8 arehinged to the top at their upper ends and are foldable to lie againstthe under face of the top, these legs being connected by a crossbrace 8.

Pivoted between the legs 8, adjacent to their upper ends, there is arunway 9, which lies normally with its forward end resting upon atransverse brace 7, secured at its ends to and extending between thelegs 7, the runway being thus given a forward and downward slant andsecured to the forward end of the runway. Beyond the legs, there is atray 10. When the runway is in its normal position, hooks 11, carried bythe legs 7, are engaged in staples 12, carried by the runway, so thatpivotal movement of the legs is prevented.

When the apparatus is folded, as shown at connection with the legs 8 andwhen the folding operation is completed lies against the under face ofthe top 6 and between the legs 8. The legs 7 are also hinged to the topand when the apparatus is in its folded position lie with the runwaytherebetween. Adjacent to its rearward end the top 6 is pro vided with atransverse slot 12, so disposed that a ball or balls may passtherethrough and fall upon the runway, and forwardly of this slot thetop is provided with a longitudinal slot 13, in which there is slidablyengaged the upwardly-turned end 14 of a rod 15, which is slidablymounted in depending brackets 16, secured to the under face of the top.This rod extends rearwardly from the slot 13 and projects beyond therearward end of the table for a short distance, as illustrated, and atits rearward end it is provided with a vertically-extending longitudinalrib 17, the upper face of which slants downwardly and rearwardly, asillustrated.

Hinged to the rearward end of the top 6 and foldable to lie thereuponthere is a board 18, which in its normal position extends vertically andat right angles to the top. This board is provided with a dial-face uponits forward side adjacent to its upper end, which dial-face being markedwith numerals at regular intervals or in any other suitable manner, andformed through the board centrally of the dial there is a passage 19, inwhich there is j ournaled a shaft 20, carrying at its forward end anindicator 21. The indicator is revolubly mounted upon the shaft, andadjacent to the indicator the shaft carries a ratchet-wheel 22, theindicator carrying a spring-pawl 23 for engagement by the teeth of theratchet-wheel to revolve the indicator with the shaft in one direction,it being understood that the indicator is thereby free to revolve in thesame direction independently of the shaft. The shaft 20 extends beyondthe rearward face of the board and projects into a framework 24, securedto the rearward face of the board, and this framework contains aspring-actuated motor 25, which is connected with the shaft 20 by meansof suitable gearing. The arrangement is such that the shaft is operatedby the motor to revolve the indicator 21 therewith. The spring-motoralso includes a shaft 26 connected there with for rotation when themotor is operated, and this shaft carries a laterally-extending finger27, which is fixed thereto. A shaft 28 is ournaled in frame 24, and thisshaft has a wire connected therewith, this wire being indicated at 29.Adjacent to its free end the wire is turned laterally, and the shaft 28is movable to bring this laterally-turned portion into and out of thepath of movement of the finger 27. The wire 29 has a convolution 30therein which extends laterally therefrom and when the wire lies withits laterallyturned end portion in the path of movement of the finger 27this convolution 30 rests against one side of the frame to limit themovement of the shaft 28 in one direction, the shaft being thusheldagainst movement in a direction other than that which would bring it outof the path of movement of the finger 27.

. Projecting laterally from the shaft 28 there is a rod 31 by means ofWhich the shaft may be moved to bring the laterally-turned end portionof the wire 29 out of path of the movement of the finger 27. As shown,the shaft 28 lies above the shaft 26, and the wire 29 extends downwardlyfrom the shaft 28. This arrangement is such that the wire 30 is held bygravity, with its laterally-turned end portion in the path of movementof the finger 27 ,and this finger lies normally in engagement with thelaterally-turned portion, so that the shaft and the motor are heldagainst operation.

Screw-eyes or other suitable guides 32 are engaged in the board 18 andproject beyond the rearward face thereof, and in these guides there isslidably mounted a vertically-extending rod 34. The upper end of thisrod is turned laterallyand extends beneath the rod 31, and thearrangement is such that if the rod 34 be moved upwardly itslaterallyturned portion will come into engagement with the rod 31,raising this rod and moving the laterally-turned end portion of the wire30 out of engagement with the finger 27 to permit of operation of themotor.

When the board 18 is in its normal position, the lower end of the rod 34rests upon the slanting face of the rib 17, adjacent to the rearward endthereof, and it will be apparent that if the .rod 1.5 be movedrearwardlythe rod 34 will be raised to release the finger 27, asmentioned above. To hold the rod 15 yieldably at the forward limit ofits movement, a helical spring 15 is secured thereto and to the underface of the top, as shown.

In playing the game a ball 30 is rolled over the surface of thetable-top from the forward end thereof, the object being to cause thisball to strike the upwardly-turned end of the rod 15, thus moving thisrod rearwardly and raising the rod 34, as will be readily under stood.This raising of the rod moves the laterally-turned end of the wire 30out of engagement with the finger 27, thus permit ting the motor tooperate, as mentioned above. The spring 15 returns the rods 15 and 84 totheir original positions almost immediately, so that by the time theshaft 26 has made one revolution the laterally-turned end of the wire 30has come again into the path of the movement of the finger 27 and isengaged by this finger, thus stopping the motor. The momentum which hasbeen imparted to the indicator 21 by the rotation of the shaft 20 causesthe indicator to continue to revolve independentlyof the shaft after themotor has stopped. to revolve, as will be readily understood, and willwhen it finally stops indicate a character on the dial-face, thusshowing the number of points made by the player. 7

The board 18 is provided with an opening 18 therethrough, which when theboard is folded to lie upon the top 6 receives therein theupwardly-turned end 14 of the rod 15, this upwardly-turned end extendingabove the board 18 and having a transverse opening 14 formedtherethrough for the reception of a pin to hold the board in its foldedposition.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a modified form in which the rod 15*, whichcorresponds to the rod 15, is provided at its forward end with a levera, pivoted thereto, this lever being pivoted in the slot 13 andextending above the The indicator will slowly cease upper surface of thetop at its forward end.

The rod 15 is pivoted at its opposite'end to one of the arms of abell-crank lever 12, u on the remaining arm of which the lower en of therod 34 rests. A spring A is provided which is arranged to hold the upperportion of the lever a at the forward limit of its movement.

The spring-motor is provided with a windin '-stem by which it may beenergized.

at is claimed is 1. In an apparatus of the class described thecombination with a board adapted for the passage of projectilesthereover, of an upwardly-extending pin carried by the board anddisposed to be struck by the projectiles, a stop-board hinged to thefirst-named board for movement to lie thereagainst or to extend at rightangles thereto, said stop-board hav ing an opening therethrough for thereception of the pin when the stop-board is in its firstnamed position,means for holding the sto board with its perforations engaged by t epin, 0 erative mechanism carried by the stopboar and connections betweenthe mechanism and the pin for operation of the mechanism when the pin isstruck.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a dial, a shaftrevolubly mounted centrally of the dial, an indicator revolubly mountedupon the shaft for movement over the dial, connections between the shaftand the indicator for movement of the latter with the former in onedirection, said indicator being arranged for movement independently ofthe shaft in the same direction, a motor connected with the shaft foroperation thereof to rotate the indicator therewith, means for holdingthe motor against operation, said means lying normally yieldably inoperative position, and means for moving the holding means out ofoperative position.

3. An apparatusof the class described comprising a board adapted for thepassage of projectiles thereover, a dial, a shaft revolubly mounted inthe dial, an indicator revolubly mounted upon the shaft for movementover the dial, connections between the shaft and the indicatorconstructed and arranged for movement of the indicator with the formerin one direction, said indicator being movable independently of theshaft in the same direction, a motor connected with the shaft forrotation thereof to rotate the indicator therewith, a secondrevolubly-mounted shaft, connections between the second shaft and themotor for operation thereby, a finger carried by the second shaft, astop arranged for movement into and out of the path of movement of thefinger, said stop when in its firstnamed position being arranged forengagement by the finger to hold the motor against operation, said stoplying normally in such position, and-means for moving the stop out ,ofits normal position, said means being adapted for operation byprojectiles moving over the surface of the board.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 3 5 in presence of twowitnesses.

OLIVER E. PETTEE.

Witnesses:

ORLANDO S. TRUSSELL, CHARLES M. Coon.

